Who is Ka Luring? Former Lay Catechist on the Road to Sainthood

The Vatican recently gave the go-signal for Philippine Catholic authorities to start the formal inquiry into the life of Laureana Franco, a lay catechist who is also known by the affectionate moniker “Ka Luring.”

Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara made the announcement following the receipt just this July of the Nihil Obstat document that clears the way for this inquiry, which is the first step in the sainthood process for Ka Luring.

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"The apostolic nuncio, Abp. Charles Brown and his secretary, Msgr. Giuseppe Trentadue handed me the ‘nihil obstat’ from Rome for the cause of beatification and canonization of Servant of God Laurena ‘Ka Luring’ Franco," posted Vergara on his social media page.

A nihil obstat is a formal declaration by the Vatican indicating that they have no objections to the publication of a work or the commencement of a proposed action. In this context, the proposed action is the Pasig Diocese’s proposal to investigate Ka Luring’s life to support her beatification and eventual canonization. The diocese initiated the cause for Ka Luring’s sainthood earlier this year.

Who is Ka Luring?

Ka Luring was born in Hagonoy, Taguig on July 4, 1936 as the eldest of eight children. The Pasig Diocese’s documentary on Ka Luring said that she had wanted to become a nun, but was unable to continue because of her poor state of health.

Little is known about her formative years. Our research shows that she worked as a telephone switchboard operator for the Philippine Air Force at Villamor Airbase in the 1960s. She left this job in 1969 to join the Legion of Mary Catholic association and become a full-time lay catechist.

Ka Luring has received awards for her catechetical work and for helping the poor, namely the Papal Award, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, from the late Pope John Paul II in December 1990 and the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Award in 2002.

She was later on diagnosed with ovarian cancer and succumbed to it on October 17, 2011 at the age of 75.

Basis for Sainthood

Ka Luring’s election to sainthood is based on miracles that purportedly occurred after she had died. In an interview with GMA News, Pasig Diocese postulator Erickson Javier said some potential miracles are thought to have occurred when some Catholic laity visited her grave.

One story goes that a person in the United Kingdom had a car accident and fell into a coma as a result. Relatives in Taguig who personally knew Ka Luring went to her grave to pray. Ten days later, the patient woke up.

The second case involved a person from Pasig who suffered a heart attack. Although not mentioned directly in the related news articles, it is implied that the person recovered after a visit or a prayer offered at Ka Luring’s grave.

Verification of these miracles is the purpose of the inquiry that will be undertaken by the Pasig Diocese and the local Catholic church.